1. LA County Department of Children & Family Services
San Fernando Valley
Strength
Needs
Practice
&
Child
Safety
Presented by
Adrienne Olson, Regional Administrator
or (818)

2. Strength
Needs
Practice
Today’s Objectives
Provide a brief overview of the DCFS San Fernando Valley office & service delivery system
Increase our partnership & collaboration to improve outcomes related to child safety, permanency & well-being

3. Children thrive in safe families and supportive communities
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Vision
Children thrive in safe families and supportive communities

4. Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Mission
By 2015, DCFS will practice a uniform service delivery model that measurably improves:
Child safety
Permanency
Access to caring
& effective
services

5. DCFS Values Cultural Sensitivity Leadership Accountability Integrity
Strength
Needs
Practice
Cultural Sensitivity
Leadership
Accountability
Integrity
Responsiveness

6. DCFS Goals Emphasize Child Centered Practices
Pursue Workforce Excellence
Strengthen
Organizational
Operations and
Systems
Strength
Needs
Practice

7. These 5 core practice strategies continuously interact with one another throughout the life of a case

8. The San Fernando Valley DCFS Regional Office
One of Three Offices Serving the San Fernando & Santa Clarita Valleys
East & West SFV Offices
20151 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth 91311
Santa Clarita Office
24890 Ave. Stanford, Santa Clarita 91321
Adrienne Olson, Regional Administrator
San Fernando Valley
(818)
Paul Freedlund, Regional Administrator
Santa Clarita/West San Fernando Valley
(661)

9. (24 Hour) Child Protection Hotline (CPH)
DCFS Service Delivery
Strength
Needs
Practice
(24 Hour) Child Protection Hotline (CPH)
Call to consult and/or make a suspected child abuse report
CPH Children’s Social Worker screens call & determines assignment /time to respond
Referral assigned to Emergency Response Children’s Social Worker in Regional Office or the Emergency Response Command Post depending on urgency

10. DCFS Service Delivery Service Bureaus – North & South
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Service Delivery
Service Bureaus – North & South
The SFV office is one of 18 DCFS Regional Offices in the County
Each Regional Office primarily houses
Emergency Response
Dependency Investigation
Continuing Services
Permanency Resources & Adoptions
Other Specialized Programs

11. DCFS Service Delivery Emergency Response (ER) Services
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Service Delivery
Emergency Response (ER) Services
Regional office responds to “immediate” & “5-day” referrals during regular business hours
Immediate/after-hours covered by the Emergency Response Command Post
Investigates allegations of in-home abuse
Determines need for community response or open case (in-home or removal)
Partners with children & families to
Identify strengths & needs
Build/team with support system of informal & formal supports to meet needs

12. DCFS Service Delivery Dependency Investigation (DI)
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Service Delivery
Dependency Investigation (DI)
Open cases assigned to a Dependency Investigator (DI) after detention
DI investigates the allegations in the petition & prepares initial court reports for Dependency Court.

13. DCFS Service Delivery Continuing Services (CS)
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Service Delivery
Continuing Services (CS)
Services provided to children & families under the following programs:
Family Maintenance (FM)– child receiving in-home services (voluntarily & court)
Family Reunification (FR) – child or parent receiving out-of-home services
Permanency Planning (PP) – Adoption, Legal Guardianship, Long Term Foster Care/Planned Permanent Living Arrangement
Supportive Transition (ST) – AB 12 Non-Dependent Minors

14. DCFS Service Delivery Permanency Resources & Adoptions
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Service Delivery
Permanency Resources & Adoptions
Placement &Recruitment
Finalization
Post Adoption Services

15. DCFS Service Delivery Countywide Specialized Programs
Strength
Needs
Practice
DCFS Service Delivery
Countywide Specialized Programs
Deaf Services Units
Medical Placement
Asian Pacific Program
American Indian Units

16. San Fernando Valley Staff
Approximately 350 direct service, support, & co-located staff
Strength
Needs
Practice
Direct Service Staff
CSW - Children’s Social Worker
SCSW - Supervising Children’s Social Worker
ARA - Assistant Regional Administrator
RA - Regional Administrator
Support Staff
Human Service Aids
Clerical Support & Eligibility Workers
Adoption Assistants
Co-located Staff
Parents-in-Partnership (PIPs)
Departments of Mental Health, Public Social Services, Health & Public Health
First Five Substance Abuse Navigators
Kinship Liaison, Youth Development Services, Permanency Partners Program, Educational Liaison, D-rate Evaluators, ASFA & Child Care

17. Coordinated Services Action Team (CSAT)
Service Navigation, Coordination & Linkage
Strength
Needs
Practice
Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT)
Coordinator
Coordinates full assessment & teaming for all newly detained children
Jaime Cantor, SFV MAT Coordinator
(818)
Service Linkage Specialist (SLS)
Coordinates full assessment & teaming for all other children in open cases
Jessica Ambroz, SFV SLS
(818)
Access Management Team in every offices established as part of the KA Strategic Plan:
To coordinate DCFS and DMH non-line staff
to rapidly receive screenings and/or referrals
to ensure service linkage.
To integrate ‘siloed’ services and programs into CSAT through clear policies and procedures
for all operational responsibilities.
To use a data tracking system to regularly monitor progress on indicators
(i.e., timely delivery of screening, assessment, referral linkage, full utilization of resources, etc.).

18. Department Wide Profile
In the 2nd Quarter of 2014 (April, May & June ), 2,068 Children’s Social Work Staff Department wide:
Assessed a total of 38,901 children reported for suspected child abuse or neglect
Open cases: 12.5% - 13%
Removals: 4.2% – 5%
Supervised a total of 36,619 children in open cases.
13,660 received in-home services
21,760 received out-of-home services, approximately 51% placed with relatives

19. SPA 2 Profile
Strength
Needs
Practice
In the 2nd Quarter of 2014 (April, May & June ), 286 Children’s Social Work Staff in SPA 2:
Assessed a total of 5,855 children reported for suspected child abuse or neglect.
Sylmar & Pacoima have the highest rates of children referred.
Open cases: 10% - 11%
Removals: 2% – 9%
Supervised a total of 4,589 children in open cases.
2,128 received in-home services
2,294 received out-of-home services, approximately 55% placed with relatives

20. San Fernando Valley Office Profile
In the 2nd Quarter of 2014 (April, May & June ), 128 Children’s Social Work Staff in the San Fernando Valley Office:
Assessed a total of 2,416 children reported for suspected child abuse or neglect
Pacoima has the highest rates of children referred
Open cases: 10.8% %
Removals: 2% – 4%
Supervised a total of 2,113 children in open cases
923 received in-home services
1,079 received out-of-home services,
approximately 56% placed with relatives
Strength
Needs
Practice

21. Opportunities for Partnership, Collaboration & Best Practice
Strength
Needs
Practice
Opportunities for Partnership, Collaboration & Best Practice
Engage in trust based working relationship with child & family
Contact the Child Protection Hotline at (800) for any suspicion of abuse or neglect
Contact assigned Children’s Social Worker, MAT Coordinator or Service Linkage Specialist for open referrals or cases
Team to build & strengthen support system
Assess for strengths & needs
Plan & intervene, tailoring agreed upon services & supports to build on individual strengths & meet underlying needs
Monitor, track, & adjust to achieve long term goal for safety, permanency & well-being

22. Thank you for all you do for our children, families & communities!
Any Questions?
Thank you for all you do for our children, families & communities!